The inhibitor of the pressor effect of arginine vasopressin (AVP), d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP, at a dose of 5 micrograms/kg iv was shown in four healthy volunteers to antagonize the blood pressure, heart rate, and skin blood flow response to a lysine vasopressin infusion of 1 mIU X kg-1 X min-1. The inhibition lasted for more than 2 h. When the same dose of the vasopressin antagonist was administered to 10 healthy normally hydrated volunteers with their renin system intact or acutely blocked by 25 mg of captopril po, none of the above parameters changed. It is concluded that circulating vasopressin, even in the face of a blocked renin-angiotensin system, does not actively contribute to maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis.